Letting Go Isn't Easy
by Angel of Neptune
Summary: “Jean!” He shouted, but it seemed his voice was only growing more distant. The woman didn’t seem to hear him. “JEAN!” His voice was taken over by the roaring waves of rushing water. (Complete)


Letting Go Isn't Easy  
  
X-Men  
  
Angel of Neptune  
  
--  
  
DC: I do not own X-Men. Marvel does. lucky people. -mumbles-  
  
AN: This story popped into my head a half hour before New Year's. Wow. Anyways, it takes place after X2, a few months after X2. Please R&R  
  
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-  
  
--  
  
"Jean!"  
  
His voice sounded distance as it echoed.  
  
"Jean!" He repeated himself.  
  
A young woman stood, her back turned to him. Her layered dark red hair blew slightly. Her arm was extended; her hand out stretched towards the breaking dam.  
  
"Jean!!" He shouted, but it seemed his voice was only growing more distant.  
  
The woman didn't seem to hear him.  
  
The man ran towards his love, his hand out stretched.  
  
"JEAN!!!" His voice was taken over by the roaring waves of rushing water.  
  
The woman turned around. Tears had streaked down her damp cheeks. They had fallen from his brilliant green eyes. She extended her other hand towards him, but the violent water had taken her.  
  
--  
  
-  
  
--  
  
"Jean!" Scott bolted up in his bed for two. At the time, it only held a single person. "Jean." He murmured as he fell back down upon the mattress.  
  
Sweat dripped from his pale face as he regained his breathing. The back of the white t-shirt he wore was sticking to his back, along with his black boxers. He made sure his visor was strapped on tightly and wasn't loose.  
  
The leader of the X-Men was lying on his side of the queen sized bed. He didn't dare cross over to the other. It was Jean's side. It was hers, not his. Rolling over there would probably have him accept the fact that she was gone; she wasn't coming back.  
  
"No." Scott whispered to himself. "Don't think that." He continued. "She's not gone. She's not gone. She's not."  
  
--  
  
About four hours later, it was six in the morning, the normal time Scott was up and ready for the new day, but not today. Today, he was on the edge of the bed. The red glow from the visor was dim. His eyes were closed; he was sleeping. It had taken him most of the four hours to fall asleep.  
  
The alarm clock on the nightstand starting beeping annoyingly. Great, just what he needed. Sluggishly, Scott pulled himself up to a sitting position on the edge of the bed. A huge yawn escaped him as the young man thwacked the alarm clock until the beeping stopped.  
  
Scott slowly stood up. His body was so stiff and sore from the lack of sleep. He stretched out his arms and legs, yawning at least three more times. He then dragged himself to the shower. He needed to wake up.  
  
--  
  
The kitchen was rather silent. Logan sat at the counter, reading the morning paper as usual while Ororo helped herself to a bowl of coco puff cereal. Scott, who had decided to wear nothing but black now due to Jean's passing, entered the kitchen wearing a pair of long black pants, a black under shirt, and a black vest on top. Instead of the visor, he had on his pair of ruby red sunglasses. Logan looked up upon his arrival.  
  
Ororo gave him a small smile, "Good morning, Scott." She said softly as she placed the box of cereal back in the cupboard.  
  
"Yeah, morning." Scott mumbled back. He wasn't sure if it was good or not. It was still too early to tell.  
  
"Are you hungry?" Ororo asked, offering the bowl of cereal she prepared for herself.  
  
Scott shook his head slightly, "I'm not hungry."  
  
"You know, bub. Starving yourself won't bring her back." Logan grunted his eyes not bothering to look up from his morning paper. Ororo's blue orbs shot daggers towards Logan.  
  
"Logan." She hissed quietly.  
  
Logan folded up the newspaper, "Hey, it's the truth. Crying over it won't get you anywhere. Suck it up and move on." He spoke in his usual growl as he stood up from his seat at the counter. "I'm off for a round in the danger room, don't bother to come help me."  
  
Scott watched Logan leave the room, "Wasn't planning too." He mumbled after he left.  
  
Ororo sat down at the kitchen counter in front of a full bowl of milk and cereal. Her right hand was gripping onto a spoon, "You know. He's right." She said softly. "But. I don't think it's the time to move on, Scott."  
  
"You could have saved her." Scott murmured in a dry voice.  
  
Ororo slowly looked up, "What?"  
  
"You could have kept those waters away from her!" Scott yelled. "You could have kept the water parted with the wind! You didn't even try!"  
  
"Scott, that's." Ororo began. He was right. "No, that's not true. Jean wouldn't-"  
  
"You didn't even try." Scott repeated himself. His lower lip began to tremble. He took a deep breath and stormed out of the room.  
  
"Scott!" Ororo called after him, but he didn't listen, he just kept walking.  
  
--  
  
Ororo knocked on the Professor's office door. After a moment, she stepped inside, "Yes, Professor?"  
  
Charles Xavier sat behind his great wooden desk in his normal wheel chair. "Ororo, good morning." He greeted with a slight smile. Upon his desk was a thick black book. The title was peeling and written in gold.  
  
"Well, it was." Ororo sighed as she sat herself down in one of the green leathered chairs. "Until I ran into Scott this morning."  
  
"Scott is going through a difficult time." Xavier reminded. "We all are."  
  
Ororo nodded, "I know."  
  
"He was in here earlier. He wished for someone to take over his lessons for a while. Just until he pulls himself together." Xavier explained. "I don't feel comfortable asking Logan or Kurt. Logan has a hard enough time with his P.E. lessons. and Kurt. I don't think some of the students will be able to understand him."  
  
"I don't mind, Professor." Ororo answered. "It's the least I could do." She stood up. Her hand was wrapped around the doorknob.  
  
"Ororo. It's not your fault." Xavier said.  
  
"." Ororo nodded slightly. "I know, Professor."  
  
--  
  
Scott was back in the walls of his room. The curtains were drawn in closed. No light could enter. The bed sheets were in a mess pile at the foot of the bed. Once again, he wore his visors, just in case he decided to fall asleep. On the night stand was a photo of Jean and Ororo, dressed in their X-Men uniforms, modeling for the camera. If he could, he would cry, but he couldn't due to his mutation.  
  
".Jean." He mumbled. He was laying on the bed, on his side, staring through the red lenses of the visor to view the picture. "Why?... We. we could have helped you. We could have made it better."  
  
It wasn't long until Scott drifted into an uneasy sleep.  
  
--  
  
-  
  
--  
  
The room was over following with a bright white light. It shined off the white walls of the room and glimmered off the golden posts of the king sized bed that contained white sheets. A slight red glowing dim could be seen. Scott was lying in bed with a smile on his face. Jean was sleeping at his side, using his bare chest as a pillow. Her face also played a smile. Slowly, Jean's bright green eyes drew open.  
  
"Scott." She whispered into his ear. "Wake up, Scott."  
  
Scott snored lightly before waking. He blinked a few times to gain focus of the room.  
  
"Good morning, sleepily head." Jean smiled as she planted a small kiss on Scott's cheek.  
  
Scott yawned, "Jean, is that you?"  
  
"Who else would it be, silly?" Jean asked as she sat up.  
  
"." Scott smiled. "No one else, really." He mumbled as he sat up with her.  
  
Jean wrapped her arms around him. Her hand ruffled up Scott's dark brown hair, "Did you have a good sleep?"  
  
"You're with me, aren't you?" Scott remarked with a smile still on his face. That comment drew them into a long, tender kiss filled with extreme passion.  
  
"Please don't leave me." Scott mumbled.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Jean mumbled back.  
  
--  
  
-  
  
--  
  
Scott turned on his back on the bed, "Please don't leave me." He repeated as he woke from his dream. He placed his hands behind his head and sighed. "Please don't. leave me."  
  
--  
  
"Are you sure, Scott?" Ororo asked.  
  
The two mutants were standing in a small graveyard at sundown. It was fairly warm at the moment and it was probably due to Ororo. She made sure to keep them away from the winter breeze. They stood over the tombstone labeled 'Jean Grey.'  
  
Scott nodded as he gripped the batch of white roses in his hands, "Yeah, I'm sure." He mumbled setting the roses against the tombstone. "I can't hold on forever. and I'm not going to try anymore."  
  
Ororo sighed slightly as she placed her own batch of mixed flowers next to the roses.  
  
"Letting go isn't easy." Scott said, turning around and walking back towards one of the cars they had taken from the mansion.  
  
Ororo's eyes jerked back towards the tombstone. There was writing she didn't catch earlier. She kneeled down somewhat to get a better view. Scott must have ordered the writing without them knowing.  
  
It officially read:  
  
Jean Grey  
  
She Will Rise Again  
  
--The End-- 


End file.
